Upon Angel Wings
by Kintora
Summary: Like any girl her age, Hitomi goes to school, wants a boyfriend, and gets a very special crush. The thing is, her normal life is about to change forever when she falls for a not so evil, evil vampire. Beware: it's not your average forbidden love. VH, AU.
1. Voice of the Eyes

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Chapter 1

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A/N: My first Escaflowne fan fiction. I've always loved the series and I've held onto this idea just for it. Well, enjoy!

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"Mom! Stop it! I'm going to be late!" I gasped as she tightened the blue scarf around my collar as I stooped and hopped around on one foot. My neck was craned to the side as I tried jamming on my last loafer on the foot in the air. "I can do it when I go out! I'm going to miss the train, mom! MOM!" My mother only smiled pleasantly adding to my frustration, "Hitomi, it's cold outside, okay? Just let me help you." I sighed and with one last painful tug, my shoe was on. Without wasting any time, I ran to the door, "Bye mom!"

"Be careful honey! It's rai---" I heard her say before I dashed off toward the stairs on our apartment complex. Well, at least that's what I think she said. I was a quick track runner and bad listener when I was rushed.

My hurried footsteps on the cement staircase echoed as I ran down, my scarf swinging madly from side to side. The sixth floor, fifth floor, fourth floor…. First floor! I was going so fast I had to use the wall to stop me before I turned the corner and into the small lobby trying to catch a breath. To my dismay, it was raining heavily outside. Unfortunately, I had left with such haste that I just realized what my mom had been trying to tell me on the way out. Giving myself a mental kick and cursing the time, I burst out the double doors without an umbrella. I pushed and shoved through the crowded avenues in our city swamped with thousands of people. Yup, it was another typical day of my life, living in Tokyo, Japan.

The rain made my blue pleaded skirt cling to my thighs and legs, as my navy blazers were soaked against my torso and arms. It was a good thing that this wasn't a spring storm or else I'd be running in the rain with a white top instead. But even as I ran through this cold rainy storm, I still heard some teenage boys huddling under the store stands hooting at my wet form. I guess they were guys who didn't go to school or something. But for now, all I knew was that I was feeling grim and wet to the bone. I pumped my legs faster towards the subway station, avoiding a collision with anyone else near by. Now my loafers were getting soaked and when I feet squished into them, I felt like I had put on sponges not shoes this morning. My knee-high navy socks were kind of muddy and likewise, sopping wet.

I practically skipped half the steps leading underground before getting a ticket from the lady behind the window. I fumbled for some money in my small pocket purse with wet shaky hands. I slapped down the amount needed to pay for that darn piece of paper. In return, she set the change down on the counter and asked for the next person in line. I took the coins she gave back and my ticket for the subway train. But it was just like me to get into an uncalled for accident.

Bang. My head had been lowered and I hadn't been watching where I was walking.

Thus I had a collision. Perfect.

My money scattered onto the floor creating faint clinking sounds that rung in my head like church bells. My vision swarmed a bit and I felt a dull ache on my head. Somewhere. Heck, I didn't even realize I had been falling until someone's lightly tanned hand grabbed my arm with a surprisingly gentle but firm grip and pulled me up before I could hit the dirty wet subway floor. "Ow…." I blinked and looked up meeting two bright rusty colored eyes. They belonged to a handsome face with a smooth jaw line, framed by very black bangs. A friendly smirk graced his full healthy lips and a dark eyebrow was slightly quirked up in what I thought was a slightly amused expression. His nose was well sculpted on the center of his fine clear face and once again, his eyes captured my gaze once again.

They were so full of mystery…. I had never met someone with eyes like those and in that color…. We just stared for a moment more saying nothing before I remembered what happened and got really flustered, "I am so sorry, mister. I should've been looking where I was going and I---I---!" I should just clamp my jaw shut and not make a sound in fear of making a fool myself in front of this guy…this very…handsome guy, I thought as an after note of his fine lazy stance and admired his perfect physique. That was when I noticed that he also wore a navy blazer and dark navy pants. That was the boy's uniform for my school!

Despite my red stained cheeks, he stooped low to pick up our things that I had knocked to the ground. I hurriedly went down on my knees and helped him. After our books and things were tucked safely in our arms, we both reached down to pick up my dropped coins and our hands touched.

You know how in those novels how they say when you touch someone special, the skin where you made contact gets all "hot and burns like fire?" Well, that certainly didn't happen. Both of our hands were chilly to the feel, but I had to add that mine had also been very clammy and his were dry. I retracted my hand away quickly from his touch. Oh boy, I thought, I must really look like a wet dirty little girl in front of this cu--- err, reserved guy.

Suddenly, he laughed. My eyes widened a bit. It was a nice clear laugh without a nasal sound or too deep or too high a pitch. But that wasn't why I was surprised. Up until we touched hands, I never even heard him say so much a word of an apology. "Am I really that handsome and reserved?" My mouth dropped a centimeter more as I opened and closed my mouth, fishing for an answer. But wait…. How did he know what I was thinking? "It's cause you're really predictable."

I blinked. I wonder if I said that out loud. Maybe I said everything else out loud too! Oh damn…. Damn myself for always being speechless around cute guys when had to be talkative and too talkative when I had to be speechless! No wonder I don't have a boyfriend…. He merely grinned cheekily at me before standing up and offering a hand to me, "You need help?"

I snapped out of my trance again and stuffed my change into my pocket purse and blushed nervously when my hand somehow slipped timidly into his, pulling me swiftly to my feet. Just as he let go, an announcement went off and my attention shifted to the speaker above a neon sign that said in English, "Lum Lum" on it. "Train A-35 is leaving for downtown Tokyo. Train A-35 is leaving for downtown Tokyo." I felt the blood drain from my face when I heard that my train was going to leave without me. I looked to the side for the guy, but he had already disappeared! I looked all around for him, but he was seriously gone! I stood there a bit dumbfounded but another warning came loudly and pierced my thoughts, stabbing me back to reality. "Last call for boarding." My mind felt fuzzed as I darted off to find my train ride forgetting all about the mysterious dark-haired boy. Instead, I focused on catching my train that looked like it was starting off already!!!

Luckily, the same old man who worked on the train saw me, a daily train rider running after the train for dear life. I saw his old wise eyes twinkle before he blew a silver whistle to stop the train before it had REALLY started without me. He shouted over the loud noise of the people at the station, "Hello Miss Hitomi! Late again as usual?" I grinned at him when I reached the door slightly tired from my sprinting. "Yeah, I'm afraid I'll never very punctual," I said as I passed him giving him my ticket, "Thanks a bunch Mr. Yama." He smiled reminding me of the Jolly Old Santa from the Western holiday Christmas, "No problem. Oh, and your friend Yukari was worried about you. She should be somewhere in one of the carts waiting." I turned around wiping a wet golden bang from my face and gave him a big smiley face that I thought could've reached my ears if I were to try.

I gripped onto the metal poles as I made my way down the center looking for my best friend since childhood, Yukari Uchida. I searched about the compartments, but I couldn't find the redhead anywhere! I was about to sigh and give up when I felt a tap on the shoulder.

My heart seemed to skip a beat as I turned around expecting to come face to face with Yukari. Actually, it was more like I was expecting to see her bright red locks and her cheerful dimples when she smiled. Oddly enough, one would have supposed that we would have already separated from being best friends and gone on with our lives since we could no longer see eye to eye like the times when we were children. Well, if you thought that, you were obviously wrong. Yukari and I spent so much time together since we were kids that I guess we matured in sync. Sounds funny huh? I never found anything funny or strange about keeping a friend from years before though. She's stuck up for me lots of times since she was always the most upbeat and active one of us.

Don't get me wrong though. I would too. Mostly in front of the teachers at school though and usually not bullies on the playground. Yukari's personality could sometimes drive a person up the wrong wall and she'd get in trouble that way. Teachers often thought of her to be too hyper or outspoken. That's when I'd step in sometimes. I was quiet in school. Very quiet I might add and the teachers would actually listen to me when I said something. So we were as close as ever, looking out for each other. Thing is, I didn't come face to face with that familiar friend of mine. Instead, I saw two men towering over from behind me. I suddenly felt very small and helpless by the way they looked me up and down. I felt disgusted as it was like their small ugly eyes were looking through my thoroughly wet clingy uniform. I felt dirty all over again and wanted nothing but to run as far away from those men as possible.

One of them leaned down from where he stood to look me right in the eyes. Naturally, I backed away and broke eye contact seeking for anyone else's help. But there wasn't anyone in this cart since I guess I accidentally stumbled in on their turf or something. My heart pounded fearfully within my rib cage; each beat beating faster than the one before. I was getting frantic and before I knew it, my legs bolted for the door to the next cart. But I didn't get very far as a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist and pulling me back. My wet spongy loafers slipped from beneath me and I fell to the floor of the dim rattling train cart.

My left hand was still in the guy's grip above my head. So thanks to my awkward position and the really hard bruising grip, my shoulder was beginning to ache and they looking like they were advancing on me. The other man that hadn't touched me reached out and felt one of my legs and I paled considerably. It was like I was frozen, no, paralyzed with total fear and my limbs felt so stiff and my muscles tensed uncomfortably. Just then, one of them spoke. I couldn't tell whom because my fear was paralyzing my brain and I could barely focus on anything. But I did hear things that made me want to wretch like, "…. Look at 'er legs. S' long and sexy; smooth too…." "Looks like one of 'ose timid kinds. Bet she'll be lots o' fun to play with, 'y think?" "Don't we want those thick jackets off 'er…she's gotta be loaded if she gots those legs huh?"

Just then, I snapped out of my trance for the, what, third time this morning? I seriously couldn't remember too much. But being myself, I remained as calm as possible. I'll leap when they least expect it, I thought. Being quite still, I concentrated on gathering my wits and strength, which very hard since their roaming hands had left my legs and were moving up my thigh. After all, who can concentrate on forming a plan to escape at the same time that they were trying hard to concentrate on not throwing up? But just when I gathered enough adrenaline and will power, the cart door flung open revealing a very miffed looking Yukari. Instead of a smile on her face, she looked down right pissed. Her teeth were clenched tightly in her mouth and her nose slightly flared reminding me of a bull ready to charge. Her bright eyes were livid and her delicate red eyebrows were knotted to the center angrily.

The men's startled expressions melted away when they realized that she was only a girl. A girl with a very heavy student brief case clutched in her good hand and was one heck of a brilliant batter. "Leave her alone," Yukari snapped. The men harassing me guffawed and let go of me. Their mistake and my escape.

I regained the use of my arms and legs and snatched my own things before running to Yukari's side. She went in front of me, her bag looking ready to whack anything in her way senseless. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I wouldn't know. The men also stood up completely, both well over six feet in height and made their way towards us snickering like idiots. But them not know Yukari well enough, they ambled closer and closer until Yukari ran forward swinging her brief case. The metal tipped edges whamming hard into their faces, sinking into their crude oily skin. I even heard a jawbone shift, crack, and get dislocated.

Both roared in pain and fury as they charges at us blindly. I guess it was just what Yukari wanted cause next she kicked the first guy who approached where it hurt most with her hard toed dress shoes that she usually wore to school. The man doubled over onto the train screeching and crying as his body tripped his partner. Yukari simply snorted and patted her poor bruised briefcase, "Ugh. Pathetic brutes. Hitomi, let's go!" She faced me and smiled, "Amano's waiting for us!" But I wasn't looking at her. Instead, behind her, the second guy was getting to his feet rubbing at his mismatched jaw as he reached out with his hands towards us. Yukari's body blocked his view as I rummaged through my own bag and found what I wanted. "Hitomi? Hitomi, are you all right?" My voice was still locked inside my throat unable to answer her. Instead, my hand shot out at her and forced her to the side when the man was only a few centimeters away. I aimed and pressed the top of my squirt bottle with my index finger a few times. The man reared back and yelled grabbing his eyes and tossing his head in all directions like an insane person. Just as he was rubbing madly at him, Yukari recovered, grabbed my blazer's sleeves, and we were out of there in two seconds flat.

We reached the compartment where Yukari lead me. Just as Yukari said, Amano was there waiting for us though he was among many of the people standing up staring at us as we hurried towards them. "Yukari? Hitomi? Are you two all right?" Yukari took a breath and waved her hand at him to dismiss his questions for the time being. Everyone was staring at us. Many were other students from our school, girls and boys alike, and others were either business men, shoppers, or simply on their way to go somewhere. But all eyes left us when the door burst open again and in ambled those two men that were harassing me just moments before.

Their wide furious eyes were bloodshot and searched the space before landing on the two of us. I felt and saw Yukari visibly tense beside me and ready her grip again. But now Amano and a few other guys from our school stood up and surrounded all of us from them. The men knowing they had no chance to fight a whole group of healthy and strong guys, they grunted and the one that got kicked in the place spoke out, "Next 'ime we see you chicks, we'll strip you down to the core! Yer got tha?!" The atmosphere was stiff and tense even after those men left from where they came from.

Amano was the first to relax and ask questions as he faced us. I kept quiet the whole time as Yukari explained the whole ordeal back in the other train cart. My mind seemed to be else where as she talked, her lively voice turning into a droning sound when they reached my ears. I was still rather struck by what happened and I wasn't about to let the threat go unnoticed by me. Unconsciously, I fingered my pepper spray bottle that I carried around with me.

I was staring at the train door where the men had left, my trusty pepper spray bottle still in my hands as I continued to fiddle with it. My hands stopped. The pepper spray bottle in them dropped to the floor with a clinking sound. I saw a pair of eyes staring into my own from behind the door's small window. I couldn't see the exact color behind the black tinted windows, but what I saw was very alluring. Mysterious dark eyes stared directly at me, the capturing gaze sinking deep inside me. I felt as if I was being read like an open book. I felt faint and not completely there and my eyelids were beginning to weigh a ton. They were so heavy to the point when they began drooping till the last thing I saw were those eyes…those beautiful alluring eyes. My limbs began to weaken and I hardly realized that I lost the strength in my legs as I dropped.

The last thing I heard was Yukari's faint hysterical voice screaming my name over and over again. Please…. Just let me sleep, was my last thought, I'm so tired….

The last thing I felt were the mysterious presence of those eyes still staring calmly at me, watching me as I drifted into a complete oblivion.

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A/N: How'd you think it went? It's my first shot at an Escaflowne fan fiction, so please don't flame and char my effort and feelings. I tried and I hope you guys liked it.

Happy thanksgiving!

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	2. Those Hazy Dreams

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Chapter 2

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A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the mistake last chapter. The sign in the subway station was actually "Yun-Yun" not "Lum-Lum". I'm glad that some of you guys actually read my author notes. It tells me that you're all good readers and pretty attentive! Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter! So here's chapter 2 for you!

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I don't know how long I've been unconscious and unknowing of my surroundings, but the first thing I did was sit up. The black darkness was thick all around and the only source of light was the dim glow of white mists floating low to what I guessed was the floor. All I knew was that I felt so alone, and so cold.

I could barely think at the moment. Standing up, I walked about; my feet trailing in the cold misty vapor and the mists trailing after my heels. But the more I became aware that I was all alone; I began to realize more about myself. I would have guessed that my teeth had been chattering and that goose bumps on my legs and arms had risen from the temperature drop, but before now, I could think only of the deep core of the darkness and coldness that enclosed me.

My feet were becoming numb and the bare skin on my arms were sprouting with more goose bumps if that were even possible. Did I say bare skin? I looked down and realized that I was BARE all over! I felt so exposed wearing only my birthday suit! Ie!

I could feel heat crawling up my cheeks and ears as I wrapped my arms about me. Actually, I didn't feel all that solid, which was kind of weird. Looking closer at myself, I didn't look too solid either since I was the smallest bit translucent. But my senses felt sharper as I felt a presence lingering by.

"Who's there?" I called out. I was frightened and my voice broke as it betrayed me, "H-Hello?"

"Ah, you're finally here."

I whipped my head to the side and saw the outline of a well-built man walking towards me. I guess it was too dark to see him clearly anyway…. But don't get me mistakened. I saw his eyes. They were beautiful, handsome, and glittering like rich burgundy wine behind crystal glass. I don't know, but they were compelling. Unfortunately, I couldn't see him quite clearly otherwise. Though I felt awake enough, I still felt as if I was in a cold hazy dream of some sort.

He closed the distance between us as I continued to stare up at him and into his captivating eyes. Before I realized it, I was literally trapped in his gaze. I just froze and my control over my body was like control over lead. I was feeling tired and more tired by the second. I had become so weak that I couldn't pull away from him when he held my bare shoulders. My knees were so weak; I thought I was going to collapse.

How could I become so tired in a dream? If it really were a dream, wouldn't I have already woken up from realization? But yet here I stood, half awake and not even understanding where I was. Suddenly, I realized that his head was dipping down slowly towards me. Was he…? Was he going to kiss me?

"Please…. Stop…." It was no use. My voice was absent and my lips barely even parted.

But he was too far to the edge of my face to be kissing me. He was going straight for my neck! I heard the quick beating of my heart inside my exposed chest thumping frantically. With him coming dangerously close to my neck (which was rather sensitive), I literally felt as if I had a faint heart located right at my jugular. I was scared. I could see light colored hair drifting gently on my cheeks and teasing my vision against the pitch-black darkness beyond. It was like I was a mere spectator through my own eyes, unable to look anywhere else. I swallowed and felt the pulse at my neck become even more distinct.

The man's soft lips met the skin on my neck as he nuzzled softly at it.

Stop it…. Please….

I felt his smile against my sensitive neck as his tongue grazed the area above my jugular. He then blew on my damp skin. My heart fluttered from the sudden cool breeze.

I felt the touch of his hand glide up my shoulder where it had found its way around my arms and mid back. His warm hand held the side of my head to the other side so he could have better access to my neck. To tell the truth, I was frightened beyond belief. Though I never believed in fairytale creatures after the age of seven, this was different. He couldn't be, could he?

My nightmare was confirmed when I felt his mouth open. I could feel the sharp points of his canines rest against my skin, ready to puncture the surface to drain my blood.

It made sense though. I remembered something that I had tried my hardest to forget in the past. The very thought of blood draining made me think of my father. I was seven at the time, but I remembered how much I adored him. He used to pick me up in his arms and twirl me up high in the air like I had angel wings. He always had that daddy smile for me and always said I was his little angel. I used to love hearing that. My dad always said that angels watched upon us and protected us whenever we needed them to. I used to believe there were angels. I used believe in all the stories he told me including ones about vampires.

I couldn't tell if I had begun crying, but I felt my emotions clench in despair. The doctors said that his blood was drained, but they couldn't tell if the cause was from the way his body was ripped all over because to be quite honest, the crime scene didn't leave much blood behind. They told my mother how he lacked about a liter of blood after the investigation. The case was never solved. Whoever it was had covered their tracks well enough that my father's death had gone straight to the unsolved mysteries pile. And forgotten.

I claimed that it was a vampire just like the ones in the stories that dad used to read to me. I was so sure it was. I was still living at my old home back then when it happened. The bedroom door had been slightly ajar and I saw the dim kitchen lamplight through the crack. I stared at the light, as I lay snuggled beneath the covers. My dad had tucked my little brother Mamoru, and I into bed that night, but I hadn't had the urge to sleep right away. I heard the back door open from the kitchen downstairs. Thinking that it was probably mom, I remember pushing my door open a bit more and tiptoe slowly down the stairs.

A raspy yell from my dad stopped me dead in my tracks. There was a furious struggle and a crash as the lamplight broke, a strangled cry, then silence. All was followed by a hollow thud of something large and heavy falling against the floor, like a body. I was close enough to the bottom to see a shadowy figure. It was too dark, but I saw deep wine red eyes boring into my own. Then as suddenly as it had been there, the eyes and the figure vanished when I blinked. I never saw it again. Nor did I ever see my father alive again.

My mom tried her best to make me forget, but I always believed in whatever dad said and whatever I saw. So she sent me to a children clinic somewhere downtown where I was "treated." I tried never to believe in vampires again. And I now believed that angels didn't exist either. How could they let my father fall to his death? Some protection they offered. Poor mother…. The best protection she could offer for us was our move into the busy city of Tokyo, leaving the horrid experience behind in our old suburbs.

The man, no, the vampire's teeth were so close to penetrating my neck. I could feel that if he pushed the tiniest bit more, his fangs would sink through my skin as if it were butter. My half-open eyes showed an unfocused scene before me of the dancing black background as I waited for the sharpness to present its pain.

Suddenly, the vampire step back and let go of me. My knees collapsed from under me and I sunk to the ground. My hands clenched together and I tucked my arms towards my chest. My head was bowed. The presence of his fangs against my neck still had not left me. I shivered since the cold had been reintroduced to me again. My eyes were wet when I closed them. I wasn't really crying, but I knew I was on the verge of doing so.

I blinked again. The mist surrounding me was clearing up and mixed with the black darkness. Everything was spinning and tumbling and shaking around me; me included. I felt like I was on a crazy roller coaster ride within a tornado…. My eyes swam as I felt as if all the confusion and tremendous dizziness were being drawn to my mind. I thought I was going to go crazy as all my senses swam with my vision! I heard the roaring of something like a typhoon as my head pounded from the inside out when suddenly--------------

Everything stopped.

I blinked.

What happened? I couldn't remember much, if nonthing at all.

Hitomi…. Hitomi….

Hitomi…!

What's a "Hitomi"? Was it a person? If so…. Who?

Hitomi!

There it was again! Was it calling to me? Was I Hitomi?

"HITOMI!!!!!" Slap! Ouch.

I gasped as my eyes snapped open from the sharp pain. My vision was still swimming and I could only see blotches of distorted colors. At first, I couldn't even pinpoint where the pain was until I was able to concentrate a bit. I brought a hand up to my cheek and felt my heated skin where the slap was the delivered. My eyes were wet from crying whether for the stinging, or from… from….

I couldn't remember.

"Yukari, don't," said a voice, "I think she's okay now." "You know I wasn't doing that to hurt her, Amano! She didn't look 'okay' to me," there was a short pause, "Hitomi? Hitomi, what's going on?"

I blinked away the stinging tears as everything began to clear up. I was sitting on a smooth glossy white floor. It was sort of humid and I felt a bit damp on the skin. I looked up to see a red headed girl with a brown haired guy before me, looking at me curiously with concern etched into their faces. Friends. Yukari. Amano. School. Words began clicking inside my head. But the last thing I remembered…. I was on the train to school. I don't remember getting off.

"Maybe she's not as 'fine' as she said she was, Amano. I think we should bring her to the infirmary," I heard Yukari say. I blinked, "Wh-What? I thought we were on the train."

Yukari looked at me oddly and caught Amano's eyes with a side-glance before taking my hands and pulling me up to my feet, "Infirmary. Now." I jerked away from her, "Yukari what's going on? Why am I here?" "Hitomi….It's okay," Yukari's earnest brown eyes were flickering with worry, "We're going to take you to the nurse. Maybe you could get some rest there. After what happened on the train, I don't blame you."

"What going on?" A new voice. It sounded familiar.

I turned around to face someone right behind me. Red brown eyes caught my gaze and held me there. I began to shake. They looked familiar too. I was afraid of them and I backed away shaking from head to toe. I tore my eyes away from him and recognized his face from the train station. He was the same dark-haired mysterious youth of whom I ran into, "You!"

He grinned a slightly lop-sided smile as if he recognized me too. It was a friendly and I relaxed the tiniest bit. But I couldn't get the images of blood lusty eyes from my memory. I couldn't remember where I got that impression, but….

"Oh hey, Van," Yukari said from behind me as she and Amano approached us, "Sorry. It just seems like this morning's incident on the train finally caught up to her." I backed away from them all, "What are you saying…." My mind began to race. Two men. Train. Fear…. Pepper spray? But that was all I could remember. I had no impression of anything from the time in between then and now.

I saw Van's eyes trail over me briefly as if to confirm whom I was. His gaze lingered at my neck. His handsome grin faded away only to be replaced with a small frown. Was there something wrong with me? But as quickly as it appeared, the frown disappeared and he spoke to me in a clear rich voice, "Hitomi, right? I bumped into you at the subway station." A pause. "You were pretty quiet during class. And even during role call, you didn't say anything," he added somewhat plaintively.

I didn't know if he was waiting for a response or not, but what should I have said? After the long silence that issued from my bewilderment, Yukari said something for me to break the awkwardness, "Oh, she's not usually like that in school! Something bad happened on the way here. I think Hitomi's just been shaken up a bit…." Van didn't say anything and continued looking at me casually but with a glint of suspicion I guess. Slowly, I began to open my mouth to voice confusion, but Amano didn't give me a chance at the moment, "Hitomi and Yukari just met some ugly thugs on the train." He glanced at me quickly, "But let's drop it. Morning classes are over now and it's lunch break. Do you guys want to go eat on the roof? I think my brother's up there with his friends."

I hate my slowness these days, but I finally jumped at the chance to say something, "Wait! We were on the train! How did we get here?" I looked from Yukari to Amano begging for an explanation. What was going on here? "School didn't even start---!" "Hitomi!" Yukari looked at me worriedly as if I was a lunatic, "Calm down. Are you okay? After you blanked for about a minute or two this morning, you were quiet when we got to school and…." Yukari stopped briefly with a thoughtful expression, "I hate to say this, but you seemed so vacant. I had to do something! I'm sorry if my slap did anything, but I was worried Hitomi! Don't scare me!"

My feet continued to back away from them, "No…. You're the ones scaring me! I'm going to wake up after this! School hasn't even started! I'm still in a dream!" I've never lost control like this before, but just mentioning something about a dream triggered a certain fear inside of me. I couldn't quite place my finger on it but…."Go away! Just leave me alone!" Being the sprinter I was, I ran away from them and through a door where I knew would lead me upstairs to the roof.

When I arrived, I knew that not many people would be up here after the storm. It also happened to be spring and the heat was beginning to climb. I searched for my spot in the northeast corner of the school's giant roof. Apparently, the rain had stopped, though the cement was still a bit wet and the air was still thick with damp humidity that clung to my skin. I felt clammy, but the feeling of being left alone was welcoming. It gave me time to think. It was just what I needed at the moment anyway.

What Yukari and everyone else said had completely contradicted my thoughts. What did they mean that I was in class and stuff like that when I'm positive that I had been out at la-la land from the moment I fainted on the train after seeing…?

Well, I couldn't really remember what I saw. But…. Van had reminded me of something. Other than the fact that I met him at the train station earlier, I had feeling I saw him another time. But whatever I dreamed of… Van wasn't in there. Well, the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't remember. But other than that, Van reminded me of something else in the past. I had a foreboding feel that someone had been watching me and scaring me. Oh my thoughts were such a mess! God, I----

"Hitomi?"

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A/N: Wow guys! Thanks for supporting my last chapter! I hope you like this one! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, minna-san!

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